Clamp for weeder attachment



E. F. DOSKOCIL CLAMP FOR WEEDER ATTACHMENT May 28, 1957 Filed ma 20. 1954 Edward E Dos/r0 ci/ INVENTOR.

nited States Patent CLAMP FOR WEEDER ATTACHMENT Edward F. Doskocil, Burlington, Tex. Application May 20, 1954, Serial No.431,208

1 Claim. c1. 97---179 This invention relates in general to improvements in weeder attachments, and more specifically to a clamp for a weeder attachment of the type disclosed in the patent to Erwin R. Neumann and Willie J. Walter, Patent No. 2,307,533, granted January 5, 1943.

Although the weeder attachment of Patent No. 2,307,533 is very effective, there has been a tendency for the weeder elements thereof to become either disengaged from their respective mounting clamps or to twist relative to their respective mounting clamps so as to be ineffective.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide an improved mounting clamp for a weeder attachment which is so constructed whereby a weeder element secured thereto is rigidly retained in place.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved clamp construction for weeder attachments which is of such a nature whereby any tendency of a weeder element carried thereby to rotate or pivot out of position will result in the tightening of the clamping action thereon.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved bolt and washer assembly for clamping a weeder element to a mounting ear, the bolt and washer assembly being interlocked so that any attempt to rotate the washer will result in a like rotation of the bolt to tighten the same.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary rear perspective View of a weeder attachment for cultivators employing the clamp assembly which is the subject of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged rotated generally top plan view of one mounting bracket for a weeder element and shows the general details thereof;

Figure 3 is a generally side elevational view of the mounting bracket of Figure 2 and further shows the details thereof;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of Figure 3 and shows the relationship of one end of a weeder element with respect to a clamping bolt and washer of the clamp assembly therefor; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of Figure 3 and shows the manner in which one end of a weeder element is tightly clamped between an ear of a mounting bracket and an associated washer.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated a weeder assembly which includes a pair of cultivator shovels secured to the lower ends of their respective shanks 12. The cultivator shovels 10 are secured to their shanks 12 by at least one bolt 14. Secured to the rear of the shanks 12 by the bolts 14 are mounting brackets 16 and 18, the mounting ice 5 of the parts thereof, only the mounting bracket 16 will be described in detail. The mounting bracket 16 includes a mounting flange 20 which is intended to be disposed in face to face engagement with the rear surface of an associated cultivator shovel shank 12 and which is provided with a bolt receiving opening 22 through which an associated bolt 14 is passed to rigidly secure the mounting bracket 16 in place. The mounting bracket 16 also includes a rearwardly extending ear 24. The ear 24 is so related with respect to the mounting flange 20 that whenth'e mounting flange 20is securedxto its associated cultivator shovel shank 12, the car 24 is substantially horizontally disposed.

The ear 24 .is provided with a centrally located boltreceiving opening 26. Passing through the bolt-receiving opening 26 is a bolt 28 of the carriage type. The bolt 28 includes a head 30 and a square shoulder 32. The bolt 28 is in an inverted position and has the upper end thereof provided with a nut 34 threadedly engaged therein and engaging the upper surface of the car 24.

Carried by the shoulder 32 in non-rotatable relation is a washer 36. The washer 36 includes an upwardly projecting peripheral flange 38. Extending upwardly from the flange 38 is a relatively narrow, projecting flange 40. The peripheral flange 38 is recessed as at 42 at opposite sides of the projecting flange 40.

Carried by each of the mounting brackets 16 and 18 is a weeder element 44. Each weeder element 44 is provided at its forward end with an eye 46, as is best illustrated in Figure 4. The eye 44 surrounds the bolt 28 and is disposed between the underside of the ear 24 and the upper surface of the washer 36. It will be noted that the weeder element 44 passes through one of the recesses 42 in the peripheral flange 38 and abuts against one side edge of the projecting flange 40.

As is best illustrated in Figure 1, the pressure of weeds and other foreign matter on the weeder element 44 disposed at the left hand side of the figure and carried by the mounting bracket 16 is such so as to tend to rotate the weeder element 44 in a clockwise direction. has much as the weeder element 44 carried by the mounting bracket 16 engages the projecting flange 40, there is a tendency for the weeder element 44 to rotate the washer 36 in a clockwise direction. Inasmuch as the washer 36 is non-rotatably carried by the bolt 28, the bolt 28 is also urged to rotate in a clockwise direction. Since the bolt 28 is carried by the left hand mounting bracket 16, it is of a left hand thread type and accordingly rotation thereof in a clockwise direction will result in the tightening of the nut 34 thereon to more tightly clamp the weeder element 44 in place and therefore prevent twisting or rotation of the weeder element 44 out of its most eifective operating position such as illustrated in Figure 1.

Referring now to the mounting bracket 18, it will be seen that it differs from the mounting bracket 16 only in that the ear 24 thereof is disposed at the right hand edge of the mounting flange 20. Further, while the washer 36 carried by its bolt 28 is identical with the washer 36 carried by the bolt of the mounting bracket 16, the weeder element 44 secured to the washer 36 fits in the other of the recesses 42. Also, the bolt 28 of the mounting bracket 18 has right hand threads so that when the bolt is turned in a counter-clockwise direction in response to attempted pivoting of the associated weeder element 44, it will be tightened and, therefore, pivoting or rotation of the weeder element 44 carried by the mounting bracket 18 will be prevented.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been illustrated and described a novel mounting bracket assembly for weeder elements, such as the weeder element 44 which may be conveniently secured to cultivator shovel shanks in rearwardly projecting relation and which will rigidly and securely retain weeder elements in rearwardly projecting relation with respect to the cultivator shovels 10 vention to the exact construction shown and described, p

cluding a shovel shank, said weeder attachment comprising a mounting bracket securable to said cultivator shovel shank, said mounting bracket including a mounting flange having a bolt receiving opening, an ear extending at an angle to said mounting flange, the angle between said mounting flange and said ear being such that said ear is horizontally disposed when said mounting bracket is secured to said cultivator shovel shank, a bolt receiving opening in said ear, and a bolt rotatably adjustably carried by said ear, a washer lockingly secured to said bolt against rotation relative to said bolt, said washer having a peripheral flange projecting towards said ear, an elongated weeder, said weeder having an eye at one end, said eye being received within the confines of said peripheral flange and disposed about said bolt between said washer and said ear, said peripheral flange having a notch receiving the intermediate portion of the weeder to retain the weeder in a fixed relation relative to said mounting bracket.

Bean June 5, 1934 Neumann et a1. Jan. 5, 1943 

